Soldiers graduate from oldest Army Reserve unit in Europe

Courtesy Photo | Graduates of the Warrior Leader Course and Advance Leaders Course recite the Non-commissioned Officer Creed, March 20, during the closing of the ceremony at Camp Aachen Theater, Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany. Twenty-three graduates of the Warrior Leader Course and 16 of the Advanced Leaders Course were honored during the combined ceremony. (Photo by Master Sgt. Bobby J. White)  

GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA,, GERMANY

03.20.2010

Courtesy Story

21st Theater Sustainment Command

By Master Sgt. Bobby J. White

GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA, Germany — The oldest Army Reserve unit in Europe, the 7th Army Warrior Training Brigade, graduated 39 Soldiers from its professional development courses, March 20, at Camp Aachen Theater in the Grafenwoehr Training Area, Germany.

Twenty-three graduates of the Warrior Leader Course and 16 of the Advanced Leaders Course were honored during the combined ceremony.

For 54 years, the training brigade trained thousands in Europe including active duty, Army Reserve and National Guard Soldiers. Many of these servicemembers mobilized for duty in Bosnia, Croatia, Macedonia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan.

This brigade's roots trace back to the Army Reserve Forces School, which was established in Frankfurt am Main in 1956. Thereafter, the school underwent several relocations to Offenbach, Munich, Augsburg and finally, in 1997, to Grafenwoehr. It was also known as the 3747th Multifunctional Training Brigade-Europe and later became the 7th AWTB.

The command sergeant major of the 457th Civil Affairs Battalion, 7th Civil Support Command, congratulated the Soldiers and underscored their significance to the military.

"You are the future backbone of today's Army, and you will lead it into the 21st century," said Sgt. Maj. Michael J. McLean.

During the ceremony, McLean and Command Sgt. Maj. Julio C. Hernandez, the commandant of the Non-commissioned Officer Academy, honored the graduating students by awarding the Soldiers certificates of completion.

Among the WLC graduates, Spc. Melissa S. Johnson, an information systems operator and analyst with 772nd Civil Support Team and an Arlington, Texas, native based in Vicenza, Italy, was the distinguished honor graduate.

"This experience has enabled me to become the noncommissioned officer for today and lead tomorrow's Soldiers into the 21st century," Johnson said. She maintained the highest grade point average and was recognized as having superior leadership skills throughout the two-week course.

The graduating class closed the ceremony by reciting the Non-commissioned Officer Creed and singing The Army Song.

The 7th AWTB, a subordinate unit of the 7th CSC, has conducted officer and noncommissioned officer professional development courses to maintain high standards of leadership and promote successful careers in the active and reserve components. In the classroom environment, participants are challenged to enhance their knowledge and skills for leading, counseling and evaluating subordinates. When training in the field, Soldiers perform combat tactics like moving through a hostile environment and familiarization on improvised explosive devices, a weapon used commonly by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Date Taken: 03.20.2010
• Date Posted: 03.30.2010 05:14
• Story ID: 47423
• Location: GRAFENWOEHR TRAINING AREA,, DE